The National Potato Council and a dozen other U.S. state and regional potato associations on Aug. 16 thanked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for his support of expanded U.S. fresh potato exports to Mexico.

The letter to Perdue thanked him for his testimony before a recent House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. At that hearing, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, asked Perdue about USDA progress with the request by Mexico to allow growers in the state of Jalisco to export avocados to the U.S.

In response, Perdue said, â€œI know this is important to Mexico. We would also like to resolve the potato issue.â€